(From left) Meenal Nigam, Sonu Nigam, President Droupadi Murmu, Agam Kumar Nigam and Sumit Mahendru at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi

Sonu Nigam performed at the newly inaugurated Open Air Theatre at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi on February 3. “As an Indian, to be invited to perform on the Rashtrapati Bhavan Diwas and to get the opportunity to not only perform in front of the President of India Droupadi Murmu, but also have a one-on-one interaction with her was an overwhelming feeling. I was the first artiste to perform at the newly built amphitheatre. It’s a matter of good fortune. They invited my family too, so my father (veteran singer Agam Kumar Nigam), sister (singer Meenal Nigam) and brother-in-law Sumit Mahendru accompanied me.”

Sonu adds, “Our President made us feel so comfortable. She broke the ice by talking about my musical journey, my Sa Re Ga Ma days and how I’ve represented India globally. That felt so rewarding.”

Sonu calls performing at the Rashtrapati Bhavan “an honour”, but adds how it wasn’t a cakewalk. “I suffered an acute back spasm recently and I wasn’t in a great shape before the performance. However, the President’s doctor attended to me for 45 minutes before the show and I felt better,” says Sonu, as he goes on to explain why the occasion “was extra special”.

He adds, “This was the first time that I performed with my father and sister on the same stage. So, the three Nigams ended the concert in front of the President.”

The singer and his family were hosted at the Rashtrapati Bhavan for the night: “After the show, we were taken to the Rashtrapati Bhavan museum. It was such a pleasant surprise to see a picture of me receiving the Padma Shri in the Padma Awards section, which only had 12 photos. After that, my family and I had the honour of spending the night at the Rashtrapati Bhavan too. We went to the Amrit Udayan yesterday.”